Thoughts about technology, start-ups, business, and sales from the CEO of TWiT and Artisanal Agency

Sunday, April 15, 2018

4 Ways to Know if a Promotion is Right for You

Hopefully, there comes a time in your career when you’re being considered for a promotion. Sometimes, you know exactly the promotion you want, and you set your sights on it. Other times, you’re offered the chance to interview for a promotion or even told you can move into the position if you want. With any promotion, it’s important to consider whether or not it’s right for you and how you can handle the new position. Here are some considerations to take into account when thinking about a promotion.

You’re comfortable in your current position

For anyone, there comes a time when your current position is comfortable. It’s no longer challenging you, and you’re doing the same thing, week after week. Once you feel this way, it’s a sign it’s time to push yourself more. While you can certainly do that in your same position by taking on more informal responsibility, starting a side project, or improving your performance in some other area, an even better way to achieve a fresh outlook and new skills and experience is through a promotion.

You want more responsibility

Once you become comfortable in your position, it’s totally normal to decide you want more responsibility. You might even feel this way before you’re completely comfortable; maybe you know from the beginning that you want to make a bigger impact on the company than your current position allows. If you’re itching for more responsibility, go ahead and apply for that promotion. Even if the job seems like a lot of responsibility and is daunting in some ways, you’ll benefit from the experience, especially if you’re willing to put the time in and work hard.

It aligns with your long-term goals

If you haven’t considered what your long-term goals are for your career, it’s time to think about it. Where do you want to be in five years? In ten years? If the promotion you’re considering can help you reach that endpoint, take it. Even if it doesn’t seem immediately like it’s connected to your long-term goals, consider a way it could be helpful. Even having the initiative to excel in a higher role can help push you toward what you’re ultimately working for.

You want to stay with the company

Though many younger people do not stay with the same company for the majority of their careers, some want to be a certain place for a few years or spend their entire career in that business. Even a few years at one place can be extremely beneficial. If you’re working somewhere and you see yourself staying for an extended period of time, consider taking the promotion so you can move up in the company and establish yourself. You’ll see a different aspect of the business and interact with people you may not have otherwise. Companies like loyal employees and stepping into a higher position with more responsibility shows you’re devoted to improving the business.